Somebody Save Me
by SerenePanic
Summary: It's been over a year since the last time she saw her friends. It wasn't by choice- who'd choose to go be a psychopath's prisoner? Let alone the psychopath whose apparently the older brother of one of your best friends. She really just wants to go home, away from the pain, away from this 'Melvin', away from his sadistic joys. AU; Fem!Ryou. T for violence. NOT Deathshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: Includes hints and mentions of abuse and violence. If you have a problem with that, DO NOT READ THIS. **

**Includes: UTTERLY WACKED Yami Marik, Genderbent!Ryou.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh!, I'd be male, Japanese, smart, and not on fanfiction, because apparently that name doesn't give it away enough. And if I did own it, the show would have been a total disaster.**

(Line Break)

Somebody Save Me

_Somebody save me  
Let your warm hands break right through  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just save, stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

-Smallville Theme Song

She ran, faster and fast, stumbling in the darkness, trying desperately not to trip and fall, crashing to the rocky ground. She just wanted to be free! Was that really so wrong- to want to go home and see her friends again?

_He_ certainly seemed to think so. He also seemed to take a sick pleasure in "reprimanding" her. If he caught her again, she'd be in more trouble than ever before.

She was almost free... Just few more feet, and she'd pass the walls! That was one of his agreements- if she managed to take even one step outside the outer walls, she was free forever. He'd never catch her again. He'd made that deal with her shortly after she'd "arrived." She'd never gotten this far before, and she'd been hear for... a year? She didn't really know- she had no sense of time in this prison. His other deal? It wasn't really a deal- it was a rule. If she broke his rules, and he caught her before she escpaed, she would be punished. Severely.

When she arrived, she was only sixteen. He wasn't _too_ harsh on her- he didn't know her breaking point. He didn't know her limits, of how much pain she could endure before breaking. Now, he knew them all- there was nothing to stop him from causing her enough pain to crack, but not break, her.

Just two more steps! She was almo-

She stopped. Not of her own volition- there was something holding her, keeping her from even moving a hand. She was frozen mid-step.

She rose a few inches, and spun around- so fast that, if she was doing it on her own, she could have broken her neck- revolving to face _him_.

His face was twisted into an ugly smirk, his violet eyes glingting with a barely disguised madness. "My my... It looks like someone's being a bad girl again... We can't have that, now can we?"

Her stomach fell. She'd been so close! She had almost seen her friends again... She almost seen them, one more time... But... _he'd_ caught her. Again. Now she'd never escape.

He released his grip on the magic keeping her off the ground (he always was a cheat), and she crashed to the ground, landing heavily on her left ankle. Pain shot through it, effectively immobilizing her,

She pushed her upper body off the ground using her arms, desperately trying to not show the fear pulsing through her and she raised her gaze to meet his eyes once more.

_Somebody save me  
Let your warm hands break right through  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just save, stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

She was terrified. It was written clearly on her face- depsite her futile attempts to hide it, he thought cockily. And to show fear was to show weakness. He'd drilled that into her mind- he was sure of it.

He clucked his tongue. This wouldn't do- her trying to run off every chance she got. Probably to see that pathetic little brother of his, and her delinquent friend. He couldn't have that, now could he? No, it wouldn't do. She was _his_- not some punk who hadn't even realized how much he meant to her. Who didn't even know her true worth. She was his, not that loser's.

That look of pure, poorly disguised terror in her eyes was so... beautiful. If only she always looked like that- shaking ever so slightly, on the ground, hair in her face, mask of sheer terror, heartbreak, and hopelessness splayed across her face. Yes. Beautiful.

But rules were rules, and breaking rules had consequences. He'd told her not to show fear, he'd told her not to run, he'd told her not to show weakness, and he'd told her she was _never_ to see those worthless _friends_ of hers _ever_ again. But she'd broken- or attempted to break- all those rules. And now, it was time for her punishment.

He grabed her arm, roughly jerking her off the ground. She stifled a cry. She must've hurt herself. Oh well. Served her right for breaking the rules.

He pulled her behind her as he stormed through the house, "leading" her down several sets of stairs. The way her arm shook under his harsh grip let him know either he was hurting her, she was in pain for each step, or a mix of both. It was wonderful.

When he reached his destination, he jerked his arm, sending her crashing into the opposite wall. When she looked up, he could see the despair in her eyes, as tears streamed down her face. He'd thought she couldn't be lovelier than she'd been in the courtyard- he was wrong. _This_ was even better.

_Somebody save me  
Let your warm hands break right through  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just save, stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

He held her wrist so tightly, she could feel it bruising. He pulled her down stairs, and her ankle sent sharp stabs of pain through her entire leg. He threw her across the room- she nearly screamed from the pain. He _really_ didn't know his own strength. Or he just wanted to hur her. The last was more likely.

His demented laugh rang through the room.

"What have I said about weakness? I don't know if you've realized this- but _crying is the worst form of weakness_."

Crying? What did... oh. She shakily raised a hand to her face, only to pull it away wet.

"Now, I think you know the deal. Stop being so 'strong', just scream- it's such a lovely sound you know- and I _might_ let you off easier. Possibly. Not likely, but it's better than knowing what comes next, isn't it?"

She looked at him hopelessly. He just grinned bigger.

She never made a sound as he beat her near death that night- she hadn't made a sound since the day she last saw her friends.

When he'd finished, he leaned close to her and whispered, "Now you know- you'll never leave here, and you'll most certainly never see those pathetic friends of your ever again. Got it, Ryou?"

Her only response was a single tear, escaping from underneath her closed eyelids.

_Just save, stay  
Come on  
I'm still waiting for you _

(Line Break)

** For all those with twisted minds... NO! It's just violence. **

** I can't believe I wrote this... I know there are a ton of these kinds of fics here... I just wanted to write one...**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Warning: This story is rated T for a reason. If you have problems with violence, STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW AND DON'T COME BACK.**_

_Chapter One_

Ryou cracked open an eyelid, praying he was gone. She was aching all over- she doubted she'd be able to move for several days.

He wasn't there, thank goodness. Granted, he didn't usually lay a finger on her, it was mostly magic. He never actually hit her, it just felt like he did. He didn't want her to die on him- he had too much fun torturing her, trying to make her scream. It wasn't really the physical torture that hurt so much- it was the mental, the things he whispered whenever he could.

_"They don't care, you know- wouldn't they already be here if they did?"_

_ "Why would they bother looking for you? You just disappeared on them... they must think you ran off on them."_

_ "Kaiba? He doesn't care- he doesn't care about anyone other than his brother and himself. He certainly could find you if he wanted to."_

_ "Worthless... Useless... A mistake... Weak... Less than a worm..."_

The list went on and on. It took a lot to get to her- but nearly every moment of every day for over a year? Even that would take it's toll on Ryou. She tried not to believe it, but there were certain parts that rung true. Seto certainly could find her if he wanted to. Bakura and Marik probably would think she ran off- the fact that the last time she had seen them she and Bakura got into a huge fight didn't help. She didn't like to believe that they would think that- she'd like to think they knew better- but Bakura had been _really_ mad, and Marik had been agreeing with him. By the time a year had passed, Ryou could barely pull together enough hope that _one day_, she would get to see them again... that she would get to apologize. But now? She had about as much hope as a speck of dust.

Hope. She had heard it described in many ways- the most memorable being _'She felt hope, a winged thing, stirring in her breast.'_ Back then, she'd believed it. Now, she had a better description. _'Hope. A fleeting, fragile, momentary feeling that should be held onto for as long as possible- because when it's gone, there is nothing left.' _

Ryou knew too many adjectives for her own good- she knew exactly how to describe the way she felt. Despondent. In a dark pit of doom and despair. Crushed beneath the weight of a rancor for not only Melvin, but herself as well. Fatally irredeemable. Utterly demoralized. Her feeble hopes were utterly unmitigable and vain. She could go on for hours. She often did- although not usually how she was feeling, more often the most cheerful words she could think of, used to keep her spirits up, although in vain.

She tried to think of all the happy adjectives she could- happy, excited, exuberant, ecstatic, blithe, cheerful, chipper, delighted, elated, exultant, jolly, intoxicated, jubilant, pleased, perky, thrilled, sunny, upbeat, sparkling, joyous, convivial, blissful, splendid, stupendous, precious, lovely... the list ran on and on. And yet, Ryou was still miles deep in her discouragement.

What was one supposed to do when they were alone? Ryou had never been a really sociable creature- but even Bakura spent more time, on average, with other people than this! Melvin probably saw more people than her!

And speaking of Melvin, Ryou could name quite a few adjectives that described him... Horrible, foul, loathsome, abhorrent, and atrocious, to name a few. She could go into more detail- but then the door to her cell shook, opened, and Melvin's face peered out to greet her. He grinned wickedly.

"Well, my pretty, let's try talking, shall we?"

Ryou glared at him, as if to say 'I dare you to come any closer.' Melvin's eyes glittered dangerously. He leaned closer, and pulled out a knife. Shit. This was going to be one of those bad days.

Melvin grabbed her chin, placing the knife tip against the soft flesh under her chin.

"Still feeling rebellious?" His voice, previously playful in an insane, twisted way, was now a deadly whisper, edged with a sick sort of pleasure.

Ryou braced herself, closing her eyes, knowing what was coming next. He pulled the knife away, causing her to open her eyes, confusion written clearly across her face. An insane smile slid even wider across his face. Quicker than she could blink, he raised his arm and slashed the knife across her shoulder, leaving a cut about four inches long, slicing right through her flesh. The pain exploded like an arrow, flashing in every direction. Melvin waved his hand, and the cut sealed itself, leaving behind the pain.

Melvin reached out and grabbed her arm right where he'd cut her, pulling her to her feet. When she didn't look him in the eye, he tightened his grip on her arm and, with his other hand, grabbed her chin, squeezing furiously as he forced her to look at him. He had no trace of a smile on his face now.

"When I talk to you, you look at me, you understand?"

Ryou understood, but she wasn't going to tell him the obvious- he hadn't been talking at all.

Melvin smiled again. It was nothing like his brother's smile- this revealed the mentally-unhinged creature who existed behind it.

"Ryou, Ryou... When you don't say anything, that just makes me try to make you scream even harder..."

_**/\/\/\/\/\/\ Chapter End /\/\/\/\/\/\**_

… _**I know... it's short... and in a different style than the beginning... In my defence, I don't actu****ally have a plan for this. Meaning, help is really appreicated. I know how I want it to end, and how I want it to go, but I have no clue how to get there. And yes, I realize every concept in this has been done already, and is totally cliché. **_

_** I can only update about once a month, because school sucks, and my math teacher is evil. Enough said.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Two_

_(A Year and a Half Ago)_

Bakura punched a wall. He was more than mad- he was _livid_. Where on _Earth_ could Ryou have gone? _What_ on Earth was she thinking, running off like that? Sure, they'd had a fight. They fought _all the time_! She was such an _idiot_! She couldn't have thought he really meant all that, could she?

… Had she really decided that enough was enough? She must have been upset, to go to her cousin and tell him she was leaving. She loved her cousins- she'd never leave them, unless something was really wrong. Had he really messed up that badly?

Marik watched warily. He knew Bakura was upset. Marik himself, the calm and collected one, wasn't in the best of moods. Sure, they had all been really mad at each other! But Ryou had never held that against them before! She usually just hid and watched when Marik and Bakura fought, then went to go help make them make up when they were done. She and Marik didn't fight- and her fights with Bakura wwere few and far between. Even when she did fight, she would just hide in her room or the kitchen and cook until Bakura came to apologize. She was always ready to forgive.

Why had she decided that now she wouldn't? She didn't even tell them face to face- she left a note. A _note_. A note, with a message with her cousin that she was leaving and wanted nothing to do wit hany of them- not even her cousins- ever again.

Bakura took a deep breath and looked up. "Marik," he growled.

Marik turned to face him, annoyed. "_What_ Bakura?" Another sign he was upset- he hadn't bothered calling him 'Fluffy', just to annoy him.

Bakura scowled- a normal occurrence. "We're going to find her." His voice left no room for debate- it was certain.

Marik nodded uncertainly. "I know that, but how do you propose on finding her?" Neither of them cared for what the note said- so what she didn't want to have any communication with them anymore? They weren't going to let her go without an explanation.

"I don't know," Bakura snapped. "But we _will _find her and bring her home."

"But what if she doesn't want to come? She chose to leave- I sincerely doubt forcing her back here would put you in her good shoes."

Bakura glared at him for several moments, before finally answering, "I don't care. She wouldnt do this without a good reason- it's not in her. That means something happened to make her change- and I aim to find out what." Bakura turned on his heel and stalked off.

Marik could only stand there, shaking his head after him.

_(The sun goes down The stars come out And all that counts is here and now My universe will never be the same I'm glad you came)_

_(Two Months Later-said in the Spongebob narrator voice)_

Shouldn't Bakura be getting tired of this? He'd been looking for Ryou for two months straight- Marik had had to force him to sleep. He doubted Bakura had gotten more than twenty-four hours of sleep since this whole thing begain. They had already searched through all of Domino, and the next town on both sides. Now, they were trying to talk to her cousin, to see if he had any new information. Actually, it was more to see if he had _any_ information he'd be willing to share- what direction Ryou hade headed in, and so on.

Bakura glared at him. "I don't care what she said- I'm going to look for her."

Her cousin spun around. "Look, freak- Ryou said she was leaving, and she wanted nothing to do with you, the other freak, or myself and Mokuba. She made it pretty clear she didn't want to see, or hear hear from, 'that duo of dimwitted dullards' -and I'm _quoting_ here- ever again. Now get lost before I eject you from this building."

If looks could kill, Ryou's cousin would have been dead long before now. Marik forcibly dragged Bakura away.

"Just come on- you _don't_ want to piss him off Bakura, you know that. Just let it go, we'll find her some other way."

Bakura ripped his arms out of Marik's grip. "Whatever. Just because he's the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, he thinks he's all that..."

"Bakura, I know- he's a stuck up priss. But he's our _only_ chance of finding her!" Marik protested.

Bakura turned around to sneer at Marik. "We can find her without him. She's not in Domino, or in the next two towns. How far can she have gone?"

Marik just looked at him. He had realized by now that arguing was useless- not that it stopped him most of the time.

"Yeah yeah, we all know he's a jerk, okay? Let's just go before we get into more trouble..."

Behind them, as they left, the CEO was looking out the window in his office. After they couldn't hear him anymore, he said a single thing.

"Believe me, freaks- if I could find her, I would have already."

**/\/\/\/\/\Chapter End/\/\/\/\/\**

… **I know, it's shorter than normal. But I updated within a week! Isn't that a good thing? I'm not going to update this quickly for quite a long time though. If I didn't have no math until Thursday, this wouldn't be up for several weeks. I actually should be doing my lab report... and my history... I hate school.**

**I just realized- I forgot something really important last chapter! Also called... the Disclaimer! I don't own YGO. Please. If I did, I'd actually know how to speak Japanese. There. All set? Good.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Three_

He hadn't come by for a while. Instead of relieving Ryou, that she was getting a break, it only worried her- now she didn't know when he'd come. He could come at any moment. This whole experience had left her paranoid.

She pulled her knees closer, trying so hard to fight off the chill. It was always there, always trying to bite deep into her bones, right to her core. She pulled her thin, dingy, brown, wrinkled sweater closer. It didn't help much- but then again, nor did curling up into a ball. It just made her feel better. Well, a little better.

It was almost amazing how small a ball she could curl into- most 17 year olds couldn't fit into that small a space without something on all sides, crushing them in. Her? She could do it in open space. Granted, she was much slimmer than the average 17 year old. She was probably about the size of a 14 year old. A _small_ 14 year old.

The door slammed open, causing her to flinch violently, shrinking even smaller as the wind from the corridor burst on her already-cold frame. She thought he was smirking, until he reached down and crabbed her collar, hoisting her nearly a foot off the ground.

The icy look in his eyes frightened her. She wouldn't normally show it, but she was a nervous wreck that day, and she was _cold_. She hadn't known it was possible to be so cold.

"Frightened, are we?" His voice slid through her head like a snake, slithering over the ground. He smiled without it reaching his eyes when he saw her flinch.

**(It gets violent here!)**

He threw her onto the ground, slamming her into the cold stone wall. When she didn't make a sound, he frowned even more, took a step over, and grabbed her by the hair. He dragged her out into the corridor, lifting her up and pulling her so that his arm was around her neck, and she couldn't resist.

They reached the end of the corridor- a room Ryou had never gone in. It wasn't one she particularly wanted to go in either, but she was busy trying to push his arm far enough away so she could breathe that she didn't notice where they were heading until he kicked open the door and shoved her in.

Her back hit the corner of a metal table, and she stifled a cry. Melvin strode toward her, lifting her up onto the table she'd hit by way of grabbing and lifting her neck. He dropped her on the table, and snapped his fingers. Strips of some cloth wound over her wrists and ankles, preventing her from moving. She still struggled, jerking from side to side until Melvin placed something thin and cold on her neck, forcing her to stop lest she cut her neck.

He slid out another knife, skillfully cutting the sweater off so all she wore was her thin blue shirt and jeans. The room was frigid, and while Ryou had been cold before, she now had no protection from the chill, and started shivering, in both fright and cold.

Melvin smiled mirthlessly. He dropped the knife and grabbed her arm and tightened his grip, hard enough to bruise. Ryou bit her lip to keep from whimpering. Using his other arm, moving the knife that had been at her throat away, he took that knife and slashed her cheek. Ryou bit her lip so hard it bled. ***

After what must have been hours, when Ryou was barely concious, Melvin waved his hand, the straps undoing themselves, and grabbed her by the neck, holding her several feet off the ground, as she feebly struggled to breathe. He glared at her, smirking coldly as she desperately tried to get the necessary oxegen to her lungs. When the struggling had stopped, and her eyes gently fluttered closed, only then did Melvin drop her to the floor, crashing awkwardly on her leg.

Melvin glared furiously at the prone figure, laying on the stone figure. He grabbed a knife that rested near him, and threw it across the room at the jar that stood on a shelf. The knife hit the jar, shattering it, shards crashing down upon the tortured girl.

That hadn't helped his frustration much. He strode over and grabbed Ryou by her arm, yanking her still figure up and dragging her across the room. He dropped her by the corner, and took a pair of rusty scissors, roughly chopping off her long, white hair, so it was uneven, the longest parts just barely reaching her shoulders.

Even that hadn't fully released his frustration. Normally, he'd only torment her when she was awake- it was more entertaining- but today he was PISSED and wanted to get out his annoyance, and she was the perfect target. He scratched her pale cheeks with his fingernail, leaving four long scratches on her right cheek. That had only helped a small bit, so he resorted to punching the prone figure, using the girl as a punching bag.

Finally, he stopped- but only after leaving the girl battered and abused. Melvin tossed her into her cell, barely giving her a second thought- only pausing to spit on her face, sneering when she didn't respond. He locked the door, and only came back after Ryou had woken up two days later, restarting the whole vicious cycle all over again.

***** I actually had more written, but … it was rather violent, and would probably exceeded the rating T. I won't go over it- even if it means I can't write what I really want to. It was only about three paragraphs, but it was violent. I guess it wasn't horrible, but T only mean MINOR violence, and I don't really want to write over a T. Pity. **

**Thanks to those who reviewed! (I was... being lazy last chapter, sorry.) It really made my day ^-^**

**Simistos: SerenePanic doesn't own YGO.**

**Um... What are you doing here?**

**S: Telling you that just because you had chocolate doesn't mean you can stay up until midnight. You're not even doing homework. You're writing disturbing things, getting mad at your friends, and thinking about ways to slowly murder the idiot guys in your class. That's not a good reason. Post this, then go to bed.**

**...Fair enough. Toodles!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, Bakura, Ryou, Marik, or anything you, dear reader, may care to recognize. **

* * *

_Going through this life looking for angels_

_People passing by looking for angels  
Walking down the streets looking for angels  
Everyone I meet looking for angels _

– Looking For Angels by Skillet

* * *

_Chapter 4_

Bakura stared lifelessly at his ceiling. He had been relentlessly searching for Ryou since she disappeared– one year, six months, three weeks, four days ago. It was a lonely search. At first, Marik had been with him every step of the way, but as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, Marik had grown further away. It had made Bakura angry at first, but now all he felt was a cold, leaden weight in his stomach.

People didn't just "disappear" without good reason. They ran away, they were kidnapped, they were killed– but they didn't disappear. And even if she had run off, _Kaiba Seto_ of all people should be able to find his cousin. When he couldn't, it was a sign that something was dreadfully wrong.

For all Bakura knew, she could be dead! If Kaiba had found her, he wasn't telling. He probably wouldn't tell, even if she was dying. And for all Bakura knew, she could be. She could be sick, alone, or in desperate need of help. Where _was_ she?

Bakura groaned and turned over. He would never have admitted it out loud, but he _needed_ Ryou. She was, quite possibly, the only really sane person he had ever met. He couldn't understand how that one little fight, which had so quickly escalated from laughing and joking to harsh rebuttals and cold snubs. That had then, somehow, inexplicably, transformed into Ryou leaving.

An alarm went off. Bakura sat up, smashing the "Off" button. It was time to wake up. Not that he wanted to. He knew that he would look around him on the street, just to see if Ryou was there. Even though Bakura had stopped actively searching for Ryou now – it had been a year and a half, and she could be anywhere in the world by now – he was still in the habit of looking around for her. He still wanted to find her, and chances were he always would. Very few things would make him change his mind about that.

* * *

Marik propped his head up, looking at the wall but not really seeing anything. He was thinking of Ryou, something he seemed to do more and more often as the time passed. The smallest things would remind him. The smell of cookies baking. Cream puffs in the bakery window. Snow, gently drifting down onto the dark pavement. A girl laughing. A blue shirt. Music from musicals. Songs from The Phantom of the Opera. Songs on the radio that she would sing along to.

The door opened, ringing the bell gently. Marik straightened up, forcing smile on his face as he said, "Good morning. How may I help you?" to the first customer of the morning.

As he worked, Marik couldn't help but wonder, not for the first or last time, where Ryou had gone. She had just left, and it wasn't likely she would ever be coming back. _I hope she's happy, wherever she is,_ Marik thought grimly. _Even if Bakura and I aren't happy, I hope she is._

As the day progressed, Marik's thoughts drifted even further from where they were floating around. They landed upon a subject Marik hadn't though of for years – one he could have gone many more years without thinking of. His brother. And not the nice one Bakura and Ryou had met, Rishid – the other brother. Melvin. His name made him sound like a nerd, or a geek. It couldn't be further from the truth. Melvin was a psychopathic maniac who really belonged in a mental asylum. The only problem would be finding an asylum that could actually keep him there without him breaking out. Then, once breaking out, he would probably go and wreak havoc upon whoever sent him there, as retribution for it.

_What does it matter? I haven't heard from him in years. He's probably gotten arrested by now. There's no reason for me to think of him. Ryou doesn't even know I have two brothers. The chances of her meeting him are slim to none._

* * *

Kaiba Seto, president of Kaiba Corporation, was getting distracted. He couldn't pay attention to his work. He should be, but he couldn't. He had several designs to go through. Why couldn't he focus?

He knew the answer. It wasn't an answer he wanted to acknowledge He was distracted because of something that had happened a year and a half before. It seemed like a long time for him to be annoyed – but he still _couldn't find her_. Not a trace. There hadn't even been any reports of possible sightings. There was ….. nothing. It was as if his cousin had disappeared off the face of the planet. It was like she had just left the country – he could have found her then. She was _gone_. The only trace of her was electronically – things that had happened to her before she left.

Seto slammed the desk with his fist. It was the only outward sign of his annoyance. His countenance was _always_ annoyed, nobody thought it odd he looked frustrated.

He might as well admit it. He was not happy with Ryou. She just left, not even bothering to explain it to him! She left no reason, just that she was mad at her house-mates. Still, she was his cousin, and he was worried for her. She could be dead, for all he knew. She hadn't been arrested, he would have found that online. But that still didn't reveal anything else. She could be dead, injured, in a coma, starving, deathly ill, or any number of tragedies or maladies could have befallen her.

He shouldn't worry so much. She could take care of herself – but even annoyed, he had watched over her for so long, it was second nature to worry about her. She was like a sister. Mokuba was worried too, but not to the extent his older brother was. Mokuba thought she was awesome, and could do anything, the same things he thought about his brother. To him, they were perfect and couldn't do anything horribly wrong, aside from growing distant and not smiling.

But it still didn't answer his question, or settle his worries. _Where _are_ you, Ryou?_

Ryou stared blankly at a rock in the ceiling. She had nothing else to do. She was incredibly, desperately bored. Not that she minded it. In her case, it was better to be bored than to have her "host" "entertain" her. Still, she couldn't help but think of her friends and family.

_Marik_. How was he? Had he gotten fired from his job as a cashier in the grocery store yet? Did he have a girlfriend? Had he finished Les Misèrables, the book, yet? Or had he gotten so bored with it that he'd thrown it out the window, like he did with Phantom of the Opera, Wuthering Heights, and Moby Dick? Was he sick? Was he eating well? Was he brushing his teeth and cleaning his room? Did he remember to shower?

_Seto._ Her cousin. Was he mad? Did he hate her? She wouldn't be surprised if he did. Did he wonder where she was? Did he care? Was he getting too stressed with his company? Was he remembering to spend time with Mokuba?

_Mokuba._ Had Seto told him she was missing, or concocted some lie to tell him so he didn't worry? Was he doing well on homework? Was Seto spending enough time with him? Did he like anyone? Did he hold a grudge against her too? Had he read that science fiction book he wanted to?

_Bakura._ It was him she was mostly worried about; it was him who she missed most. Did he care she was gone? Did he ever think about her? If he did, was it only with disdain? Had he looked for her? Had he ever known Marik had another brother? Was he eating well? Was he reverting back to his old habits of stealing? Had he ever cared for Ryou as much as she cared for him?

It was with questions like this that Ryou tormented herself all the time with. She never had any escape from them; they, along with solitude, were the only companions in this dungeon she found even remotely pleasant. But there was still one last question that she spent hours agonizing over:

_Had any of them cared enough to look for her?_

* * *

Melvin leaned back in his revolving chair, cackling wildly. She was finally close to the breaking point. She was hopeless, despairing, and utterly broken. Her friends thought she had abandoned them, she thought they didn't care, and her cousin – the only one who mildly worried Melvin – was too mad at her to find her.

It was wonderful. She wasn't a compliant prisoner, rather, she fought every step of the way, but that was what made it fun. Getting her hopes up, and then cruelly dashing them against the ground. It was lots of fun, more than people would think it was.

What perfect despair. Soon, she would be willing to do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't hurt her again. But first, there were punishments to be planned, entertainment to think up... breaking her ankles sounded nice... perhaps carving in her arm? Oh what fun he could have...

The problem, Melvin decided, was that there were so many fun things he could do, he just couldn't pick! Oh well, he could just do several at once. Breaking her fingers, pressing hot irons into her arms, and slicing up her legs with a dull, rusty knife sounded perfect. He couldn't _wait_ for the next day to come, when he could start playing again.

* * *

**OK, here's the deal. It's longer than usual, but that's because I have a ton of history projects coming up, and NaNoWriMo, and I won't have time to write. So don't expect another chapter for about a month. Sorry, but that, on top of NO inspiration for this story, means it's a little break. I know how it's going to end, and what happens to get it there – but I'm a little stuck in here and if I should just stop with the Melvin-tortures-Ryou chapters and start the next mini-plot, making this shorter than if I add in more pointless fillers. It's up to you, but of course, that would mean ACTUALLY REVIEWING. Yes, I'm talking to you.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Why are these even necessary? The answer is always the same. Actually, I haven't seen it in the rules anywhere that we need these, unless I'm mistaken, in which case I'm sorry.**

* * *

_Chapter 5_

_Ryou rolled over in bed. Her mother was being ridiculous. She wasn't even allowed out of her room. This was insane! It wasn't like she had an awful, contagious, life-threatening disease or something! It was just bronchitis, and she was on antibiotics! She didn't even feel that bad––she just had an awful cough and her stomach would sometimes feel uncomfortable. She suspected that part was from the antibiotics. _

_ A knock at the door startled her. It was probably her mother._

_ "Ryou? Are you awake?" It was, indeed, her mother, softly whispering as to not wake her up if she was asleep. Like she would be––it was noon on Christmas Break. Why wouldn't she be awake?_

_ "Yeah. Why?" She wasn't trying to be rude, but her mother usually tiptoed around her when she was sick._

_ "You have a visitor, if you're feeling up for it." Her mother sounded reluctant to allow anyone to see her, but she was allowing someone to, which was more than she'd done in ages._

_ "Yes, I feeling up for it." It was all Ryou could do to not shriek with joy. She didn't know who was visiting, but she'd be happy for anyone._

_ The door creaked open, and Ryou could hear her mother giving some last minute advice to whoever the visitor was._

_ "Don't sneeze, or cough near her. Wash your hands before and after entering, keep your voice down, and don't be rowdy. Got it?"_

_ Whatever the guest said must have appeased her, and she let in the mysterious guest. A small, white-haired boy slunk into the room, cautiously perching on the seat near Ryou's bed._

_ "Um... Ry, how sick ARE you? 'Cuz you're made it sound like you were on your deathbed..." he whispered. Ryou could see him fidgeting uncomfortably, realizing that this was a very real concern for him._

_ She tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. "Bakura... I'm fine... It's just a cough..." her statements were split into three segments by her uncontrollable giggles. "My mom is overreacting and being overprotective. I'm fine. Really. It's not big deal."_

_ Bakura looked up, relief clearly showing on his face. "Really?"_

_ Ryou nodded. "Yeah. I'm stuck in bed––which _stinks_, by the way––but I'll be fine. I'll actually be in school when it starts again. Stinks, doesn't it? I have to go to school, but over winter break I'm sick and stuck in bed."_

_ Bakura grinned, somewhat shakily. "Yeah, I guess. So you're stuck in bed?"_

_ Ryou nodded, a frown creeping onto her face. "I'm not even allowed to watch TV because it's 'too loud, bright, and prone to give me a headache', to quote my mother."_

_ Bakura scrunched up his nose in disgust. "That sucks."_

_ Ryou gasped. Bakura looked around in horror. "What? Is something wrong? What is it?"_

_ Ryou looked around before softly whispering, "That word you said. It's a bad word, 'Kura. You're not supposed to say it. You're gonna get in trouble, and then I won't be able to see you anymore."_

_ "It is? I didn't know! You're not gonna tell your mom, are you? I won't say it anymore! I didn't know!" Bakura whispered, panicked._

_ Ryou shook her head. "I'm not going to tell, 'cuz then I wouldn't be able to talk to you anymore, but you can't say it anymore, okay?"_

_ Bakura nodded his head frantically. "I won't, I swear. I'm never going to say it ever again."_

_ Ryou sighed in relief, leaning back on her pillow. "That's good. So, how's it been? Anything new or exciting?"_

_ Bakura leaned in, softly chattering about the things she'd missed while sick. It was a pleasant afternoon._

* * *

Ryou smiled softly to herself. That had been a happier time, when she thought saying 'sucks' was bad. She'd grown up since then, but the memory still remained. Bakura had been so young––they both had. Even though she'd been sick for all that break, it was still fun, once Bakura was allowed to come over. He'd always been her best friend. She never thought there would have come a time when he wasn't. Evidently, she was wrong.

* * *

_What on earth was he doing here? He didn't know how to dance. Heck, he didn't WANT to know how to dance! But Ryou did, and so... Well, she always had been an exception to the rules._

Forward, side, together. Back, side, together. Forward, side, together. Back, side..._ the endless mantra repeated endlessly. It was necessary––otherwise he'd be crushing Ryou's toes with every step. That would not be pleasant. _

_ He missed a step in his counting, accidentally catching Ryou's toes under his shoe. He looked up, horrified._

_ "Ry I'm so sorry I didn't mean to are you okay I'm really really sorry––" Ryou cut him off abruptly._

_ "'Kura, I'm fine. You've been so absorbed in making sure you're getting sure the steps right you didn't notice me stepping on your toes... a lot. And by that, I mean, a LOT. Seriously, it's fine. It's payback."_

_ Bakura rolled his eyes. "Payback for what? As it is, I probably didn't notice you because you're so light. Like a feather."_

_ It was Ryou's turn to roll her eyes, sticking her tongue out at Bakura. She added, "That reminds me of a joke. What's heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of metal?"_

_ Bakura snorted. "The metal, obviously. The only person who could get that wrong would have to be stupid."_

_ Ryou lifted an eyebrow, an unfamiliar smirk rested on her lips. "Then I guess you're an idiot, Fluffy. The answer is neither. They're the same weight. A pound of each. There would be more feathers than metal, but it would still be a pound."_

_ Bakura frowned, his eyes widening in understanding as it made sense. "... Damn. I guess I am an idiot."_

_ Ryou lifted her hand from where it rested on his forearm, smacking his head lightly. "Don't curse."_

_ "I wasn't! I just said damn!" Bakura protested. They'd come a fair bit from when she thought saying 'sucks' was a bad word when he was eight and she was seven to them now being fifteen and sixteen._

_ "Close enough," Ryou laughed, smacking him again. "Now pay attention, or we're both going to mess up big time at the wedding."_

_ "Ah, the wedding. The wedding for your cousin. Why'm I even going, again?"_

_ "Because I asked you to and otherwise, I'm going to be surrounded by a bunch of people I don't know––most of whom are teenage boys."_

_ And that would be it. Teenage boys. "Good point."_

_ "Yeah, so pay attention." Bakura rolled his eyes, but obeyed his friend and payed attention to the dance teacher. Stupid waltz._

* * *

To be honest, Bakura didn't know why he was thinking of that dance lesson. It was an odd memory, one he'd almost forgotten about. It was just a small break of happiness––a shaft of sunlight and fresh air in a dusty, dim room. A faded tinkle of laughter after the years went by. He'd thought she'd always be there, laughing. Now? He knew he was wrong to assume that.

* * *

**So, I was in the mood for fluff. Sue me. I realize this plot is lame. And I suck at this. Really, though? I honestly don't care. It's fun. When I remember... Yeah, sorry about the wait. NaNoWriMo was... awful. I had no time to write, at all. I think I got about three thousand words done out of 30,000... Yeah. It was bad. Anywhoos:**

**First off, sorry for yelling to review last chapter. It was immature and annoying. Sorry. But that brings me to the second thing!**

**Secondly: Thanks to: **_zukofan2005_**,**_ featherwing25_**, and**_ Pharaoh Silver _**for reviewing last chapter. And while I'm at it, I'll do the things I've been forgetting to do the last few chapters. Namely... Thank the other people who reviewed! (Sorry!) So, that would be **_yami-yuka-tan_**, **_zukofan2005_**, and**_ Julius Night_** for reviewing, and thanks to **_yami-yuka-tan_**, **_hahahehehoho_**, **_fixed . dice_**, **_ featherwing25_**, **_Pharaoh Silver_**, **_Nani-1-9-5_**, **_Manjoumes-girl-4-ever_**, **_FangandIggyRule_**, **_ExplodiaTheUnescapeable_**, and **_ArrancarMaiden_** for alerting this story. And thanks to **_zukofan2005_**, **_fixed . dice_**,**_ featherwing25_**, **_Pharaoh Silver_**, **_Manjoumes-girl-4-ever_**, and**_ ansolorio1204 _**for favoriting. Phew. I feel really lame for not doing that before. Sorry.**

**Okay. Thirdly: I'm now realizing how overdone this plot is. Sorry. And I realize how OOC Bakura was in this chapter. In my defense, you people are lucky I got up out of my Young Justice fanfiction reading daze and started to write this. And bronchitis SUCKS.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own YGO, which is good. Because if I did, it would be really, really bad.**

* * *

_Somebody Save Me _

_Chapter 6_

He advanced slowly forward. "Well little birdy, it seems you've lost your spunk."

Ryou's brow wrinkled in unconscious confusion. _What did he mean? Lost my... spunk?_

He laughed. "Your spunk, girl! Your inner defiance! The spark in your eye that growls angrily at me. Spunk! It's gone!"

Ryou thought he was crazy, but that was nothing new.

His psychotic grin fell, shattering like the illusion it was. "You're utterly broken. It's boring. There's no point in having a boring toy."

Ryou caught sight of a slim metal rod in his hand. He stepped closer, and the shape was revealed as a crowbar.

"Come on little birdy, it's time to play." He swung the metal bar closer, and closer, and only one thought ran through Ryou's panicked frame of mind.

_Oh God* I'm going to die._

The metal bar swung. Ryou opened her mouth to scream-

* * *

Ryou shot up, sweat drenching her sheets._ Creepiest. Nightmare. Ever._ Seriously. She was never watching a Batman marathon ever again. Especially not the one with Heith (or was it Keith?) Ledger. And Batman: Under The Red Hood. Although that explained the crowbar...

Whatever the case, dreaming that her best friend had a psychotic brother who kidnapped her and then tried to kill you was not something Ryou found fun. And then she dreamed that she _was_ her best friend? And her boyfriend? Whatever the case, Bakura was never getting her to watch a bunch of Batman movies before bed again.

"Ryou? Mokuba's here, he's ready to go sledding!" her mother called up.

"Coming!" Ryou called back. The dream was already in the recesses of her mind. She was ready for a fun day of sledding with her cousins.

* * *

_The End_

* * *

**Yup. This is the end. No joke. I know it's short. But this was always going to be the end.**

***I'm fairly religious, so when I say this, I mean it. She's honestly afraid she's going to die.**

**If it seemed hard to follow: Melvin was about to kill her with a crowbar, and she woke up. Everything was a dream. Bakura is her boyfriend, and she was having weird times when she was him, and her best friend Marik. Ever had that happen? When you're not you in a dream? Then she went sledding with her cousin Mokuba and forgot about it.**

**So... I'm sorry if you were looking forward to a better ending, or a longer story. I... I know it seems a little rushed at the end, but the plain, simple fact is I'm rapidly losing interest in this story, and I'd like to finish it. And if I didn't do it now it would never happen.**

**Simistos: What she's trying to say is she can't remember what she planned to do next, and so rather than keep you waiting for another month before ending it, she's just going to do it now.**

…**.Not exactly subtle, Sim, but...**

**S: But it's true. Now have a good day/night/whatever all you people. And Serene... go to sleep. Stop staying up till 11 to write and just go to sleep. **

**...Whatever. Bye. Thanks to **Pharaoh Silver** for reviewing.**


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